New Delhi [India], April 13 (ANI): GE Aerospace on Monday announced a contract with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to establish an in-country depot facility for the F404-IN20 engines that power IAF's Light Combat Aircraft Tejas fleet.

According to a press release, the facility will be set up by the IAF with technical inputs from GE Aerospace and is expected to help India's indigenous defence sustainment effort. Once operational, the facility will eliminate the need to depend on the overseas repair centres, significantly improving turnaround times.

The depot facility will be owned, operated, and maintained by the Indian Air Force, with GE Aerospace providing technical inputs, training, support staff, and the supply of necessary spares and specialised equipment, the release said.

This collaboration marks the next step in the four-decade-long partnership between GE Aerospace and the IAF.

'Our commitment to supporting India's armed forces continues to guide our collaboration and partnership in expanding local sustainment capabilities of the Tejas fleet,' said Rita Flaherty, Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Defence and Systems at GE Aerospace.

'Through the upcoming depot facility, we will support the availability of the F404-IN20 engines for the Indian Air Force, ensuring they have ready access to cutting-edge technology to power their defence needs,' she said.

The release further stated that GE Aerospace is committed to developing India's aerospace ecosystem, spanning design, development, manufacturing, and sustainment for both commercial and military aviation. For example, 150 engineers have passed out of the company's local two-year Edison Engineering Development Program, which develops engineering leaders.

Several skilling initiatives over ten years have helped train over 5,000 people with core manufacturing skills at the company's Pune factory.

In September 2025, the GE Aerospace Foundation, in partnership with United Way, launched Next Engineers at Bengaluru, a four-year college and career readiness program that will help 4000 young engineering aspirants, the release said.

Other than the Tejas, GE Aerospace engines also power the Indian Navy's P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and MH60R helicopters, as well as the Indian Air Force's AH-64 Apache helicopters, while LM2500 marine gas turbines provide the power for the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and the P-17 Shivalik Class frigates.

The release said GE Aerospace has been a partner to India's aviation industry for over 40 years. 1,400 GE Aerospace and partner engines are in service, powering major Indian airlines. GE Aerospace's defence engines and systems power the Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mk1 and helicopters, and the Indian Navy's aircraft carrier battleships and frigates.

Its Pune manufacturing facility and 13 local India partners are part of the company's global supply chain. Researchers and engineers at the company's 25-year-old India Technology Centre in Bengaluru are building the latest aviation technologies, it said.

As per the release, GE Aerospace is a global aerospace propulsion, services, and systems leader with an installed base of approximately 50,000 commercial and 30,000 military aircraft engines. With a global team of approximately 57,000 employees building on more than a century of innovation and learning, GE Aerospace is committed to inventing the future of flight, lifting people up, and bringing them home safely. (ANI)